Hospital guard of honour for Grantham schoolgirl Alice

Alice Rossington is recovering at home with her mum Victoria (pictured) and the rest of her family.

A Grantham schoolgirl was given a standing ovation and a guard of honour to mark the end of her chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday.

Alice Rossington, 12, has been undergoing treatment since being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in February.

Alice is looking forward to getting back to her 'new normal.'

After 18 rounds of chemotherapy, spanning over 32 weeks at Addenbrooke`s Hospital in Cambridge, the former Barrowby Primary School pupil rang a special bell on the ward to celebrate, which was captured on camera.

Alice’s mum Victoria, who is the assistant headteacher at The Priory Ruskin Academy, said it was the “perfect moment”.

She said: “Alice started experiencing bad back pain last August, which then moved to her leg. Eventually she struggled to walk and started suffering from night sweats.”

Despite the pain, Alice still managed to sit and pass her 11-plus exam and receive distinctions in both her ballet grade 4 exam, which she did with a fractured leg, and her guitar exam.

But by the time she was admitted to Peterborough City Hospital for a week in February, she was in excruciating pain.

After a series of MRI scans, blood tests and X-rays, Alice was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare tumour on her femur leg bone.

Victoria said: “Our world froze when we found out. Everything stood still.”

In July, Alice underwent an operation to remove the tumour and the bone was replaced with an titanium alloy prosthesis insert, which has meant that Alice has had to learn to walk again.

Victoria added: “Every time we would walk on the ward for another chemotherapy session, Alice would see the bell. It was a great motivator. She was very excited to ring it.”

Determined to show everyone how far she had come, Alice managed to walk from her hospital bed to ring the bell - the first time that she had managed to walk that distance since her surgery.

Hospital staff formed a guard of honour to cheer her on. After Alice rang the bell, Victoria thanked each of the hospital staff.

Alice is now recovering at home with her mum, dad Nick, brother Charlie, 22, and sister Isabella, 14, and is looking forward to starting at Kesteven Grantham Girls’ School in the new year, on a phased return.

Victoria added: “Although it is great to have her home, we are still on a journey. Treatment does not just end with chemotherapy and she is still dealing with the side effects, but she is doing it in her own positive way and getting better every day. She is looking forward to getting back to her ‘new normal’.”

After enduring so much at a young age, her family were keen to treat her.

Victoria added: “I asked if there was anything that she wanted or anywhere she wanted to go, thinking that she would say Disneyland or ask for a new bike, but all she wants is a milkshake from Downtown Superstore or to visit Barrowby Cakehole.

“She has also asked for a new pencil and rubber for all the artwork that she has been doing in and out of hospital.”

“Alice has been so positive throughout all of her treatment, so the guard of honour was just the perfect moment to highlight her bravery.